To Be A Princess
by ko-drabbles
Summary: "Tokyo seemed to be a land full of princesses. Every time he entered some new street, beautiful girls wore their own princess dresses, smiling and radiant with joy..." Kyoya finally meets the prince to their princess. (heavy themes of gender identity and queerness.)
1. The Prince To The Rescue

Little girls get told by their mothers that, when they grow up, they'll be princesses. Their hair is brushed and styled - whether it be twisted into adorable plaits or pinned into sweet up-dos. They wear the prettiest dresses, sequins and glitter shinning as they catch the light, lace embellishments that make them squeal for joy. Princess dresses may change for them over the years, but it's an introduction. It's learning that all those gems and lace and big labels will one day be all theirs.

Tokyo seemed to be a land full of princesses. Every time he entered some new street, beautiful girls wore their own princess dresses, smiling and radiant with joy. It was inspiring, intoxicating, and he... was jealous. Sure, boys could be princes, but... It wasn't the same. Princes weren't the ones who caught eyes with pearls, diamonds and the tulle that would float and glide as if enchanted.

So, in that situation, there was two things he could do. He could stew in this resentment and jealousy, becoming more bitter and angry about society's gender roles while doing nothing to challenge them. However, the better solution was to put on a wig, some makeup, and a skirt - to just have fun! If he wanted to be a princess, then he was going to; and he didn't care if anyone had an issue with it because this was who he was!

Or... That was the theory. If it really played out the way he thought it would, he wouldn't be hiding behind a light brown – almost blonde – wig and dark sunglasses, a small tremor along his shoulders when his mind would slip back into the cycle of " _what if Akito finds out, what if dad finds out, this was a really bad idea..._ "

Because... It was. He was an Ootori, and so every decision he made had to be thought through completely, but here he was. Imagine the scandal it would cause, imagine how _disappointed_ everyone would be...

Kyoya pressed a hand to his gloss-sticky lips, stomach flipping over and over again as his pessimistic imagination laid all the worst-case scenarios out for his viewing pleasure. He wrapped his other arm around his torso, feeling rather sick at the thought of the anger he could be met with over this. What if he was disowned? What if his own brother hated him?

No. No, Fuyumi wouldn't let them. The worst he'd get from her would be her making him into a dress-up doll, and that could actually be fun. She wouldn't let Akito do or say anything cruel... But she had no control over their father...

What was he doing, really? Acting like some sort of Okama and parading around in some stupid Lolita getup. It made him feel like a princess in his bedroom - in private - but now it just felt ridiculous. Pink lace and bows and everything a boy shouldn't be. He shouldn't be wearing this so openly, why did he even try?

He blinked hard, swallowing down the acidic bile that burned the back of his throat. He wasn't going to abandon his determination over this. He wasn't going to get upset and panic over something that wouldn't even happen. He wanted to feel happy in himself for a little while, not wanting to tear his too-small skin off his face and body. He'd felt good in himself not long ago, so he was just going to avoid overthinking.

He took a breath and held his head high as he strode down the busy streets, heals clicking and hips swaying. He was beautiful, he was worth this feeling of warm, comfortable confidence that gave him that extra bounce in his step. A little break, maybe to pet the cats in the pet shop across the street, and then his mind might actually cooperate with him. He just needed to detach himself from those pesky thoughts.

The shop had a little bell above the door, the stereotypical ring crisp and melodic, despite being somewhat drowned by barking, mewls and the other sounds of small animals. The mice, he noted, were particularly verbal despite their small size. He had to bite back a chuckle at the thought of how similar they were to his father, who might not have been _particularly_ short, but was still out-grown by all his children. He was probably louder than the mice when the situation called for it, however.

"Good afternoon, miss," The employee behind the counter nodded, low and quiet but still heard, and Kyoya couldn't help but blush. His heart was fluttering in his chest at the… well, he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was the polite, respectful tone such a handsome man had given him, or the confirmation that he didn't look like a skinny, too-lanky man playing dress-up.

"Afternoon," He nodded in return, a smile on his lips and his voice as light and airy as he could make it. It did sound strained, a bit put on, but it would hopefully just be taken as a girl trying to match her voice to her look. After all, some girls talked in third person and put on high, squeaky voices in the pursuit of sounding young and cute, so it didn't make him stand out too much.

He should really stop overthinking this.

His heels were a little too loud on the tile floors, or perhaps he just stepped too clumsily, but he carried on despite how it made him self-conscious. Everything about his clothes, his hair, his makeup, screamed " ** _LOOK AT ME!_** " when in reality he just wanted to slip by unnoticed.

A vile smell caught his nose, and he grimaced. A small, black cat mewled quietly, curled on its side, the poor thing's crate stained with vomit. He should call over the employee, but he didn't trust his voice to stay at a tone appropriately "feminine". But still, if he said nothing, would the cat's distress get noticed soon? In an hour? In five?

The small cat let out another, pained sounding noise, and Kyoya decided that he'd much rather prevent it from suffering any longer.

"Um, sir!" He called, waving over the young man, who obliged almost immediately, "The kitten there, it's really sick."

The man wrinkled his nose at the smell, sending Kyoya what he assumed was a grateful look, scooping the small thing up in his large hands. It was almost ridged, and Kyoya could see for himself how sick it was. "I really hope it's not what I think it is..." The man muttered, and Kyoya's heartbeat quickened - he always did have a soft-spot for cats, "I can't take him to the vet without the owner's permission, but he's not here today."

"But he's really sick," Kyoya breathed, the restraint he'd cultivated slipping away, as if he'd stripped it away with the labels he always felt forced into: "Ootori" and "Boy". The man gave him a sympathetic look, patting the little cat's head. It was then that Kyoya really noticed their height difference. At just under six foot, not many Japanese men were taller than him, but the employee dwarfed him. He had a good few inches on him, at least.

Still, the situation meant that he shouldn't be focusing on trivialities like that.

"Kids," The employee sighed, "You have to watch them very closely when they're handling animals, because they don't understand. You'd think the parents would stop them, but... Well, I think the little one might've been given some chocolate... He really should go to the vet..."

Now, if Kyoya was insane and impulsive, he'd buy the kitten and take it to a vet himself. However, he wasn't allowed a pet, and Akito was allergic to cat dander. It wasn't even like he could hide it; Akito's sneezing and swollen eyes would certainly give it all away. However, the cat should be seen by a vet...

"Why don't you just buy the cat, you obviously like him," A voice intoned, which almost made Kyoya jump. He turned to see a boy at the counter, a bag of dog food by the till and his shaggy, brunette hair in his face. Ugly, but cute jumper swaddling his slender body, and those thick frames hiding his eyes; it made Kyoya almost feel bare, pushing up his sunglasses as if that would shield himself from prying eyes.

"I can't take in a cat, my brother's allergic," He sighed, running a hand through the synthetic strands of the wig, "Expenses, I can cover. But without being able to keep him at my house..."

The boy tilted his head in thought, sizing the situation up, and Kyoya just felt so embarrassed. He shouldn't be making such a fuss, it was just a cat. It wasn't like he was given any reason to care. He should just apologise for bothering them and go, forget about the damn cat.

He might've too, if it hadn't of been for the pitiful meow he gave, looking up at Kyoya with large eyes that just made him want to scoop the poor thing up. He wasn't supposed to act like this, like he wasn't supposed to wear dresses and wigs and makeup. Everything was wrong, and there was an itch under the skin of his forearms that he couldn't scratch. It was idiotic, getting so upset over a stupid cat -

"If you like, my flat allows animals. We already have a dog, but if she can get along with the cat then she can stay," The boy offered, and Kyoya was genuinely shocked at the offer. After all, it was certainly a generous one. He'd offer to pay for everything, of course, and he'd always wanted a cat... Or, maybe this guy was only offering because he thought he was a cute, teary-eyed girl with a big heart. Still, if it meant the issues would be solved…

"Are you sure? That's quite a commitment for someone you don't know…" He pointed out, but the boy just nodded, "Uh… Thank you…"

"No problem," The boy nodded, "I'm Haruhi by the way. Haruhi Fujioka."

* * *

 **A/N: I'm leaving any possible gender identity of Kyoya's up to the reader. You're all valid, and I'm not sure if even Kyoya knows for sure. Have fun!**


	2. Sleeping Beauty Awakes

Taking care of a living animal was a big responsibility that should be thought out thoroughly. It shouldn't be rushed into, and there were a lot of variables to consider – especially if you had a roommate, who in turn had a big, dumb animal of his own. After all, Antoinette was about as well-trained as her owner, which was to say not very. It didn't help that Haruhi liked to plan things out ahead of time and wasn't someone who appreciated reckless spontaneity.

So why the hell did she suggest keeping the cat at her **shared** apartment? Perhaps it was the way that the girl _she didn't even know_ was so honestly… saddened by the whole thing. Haruhi liked to think she was strong and didn't let others' emotions sway her, but Tamaki's puppy dog eyes had been successful far too many times for her to truly believe that anymore.

It didn't help that the girl was so stupidly adorable. Tall, much taller than she was, but it didn't seem to stop her from dressing like… that. All pink bows and white lace, so oddly young and adorable, even if it should be overwhelmingly saccharine. She could only focus on the tremble of her dew-glossed lower lip and the long eyelashes that hid behind her sunglasses. Fuck, she was gay for those sorts of girls. Innocent and sweet.

However, the answer definitely wasn't to take in a cat! She didn't have the first clue of how to deal with a kitten, especially one who was sick. The vet gave her and the girl some advice, of course, but she certainly wasn't an expert. At least there was google, right? Still, she couldn't get over the girl's quiet shushes and coos as the kitten mewled, holding it so gently.

The worst thing was that, after the vet visit was over with and the girl – _people just call me Kyo_ – was about twenty thousand yen out of pocket, she took her to the apartment she shared with her idiot friend. **A stranger**. Not only that, but she ended up falling asleep before Kyo left, the girl so enamoured with the little kitten – _what do you think of calling her Noir?_ – that she just let her keep playing with the cat until all too late at night. In her bedroom.

She groaned, realising what a gay dumbass she was. A good sign, however, was the soft snores that seemed to emanate from the small pile of blankets and pillows on the floor. Noir had sat herself on top of the little nest rather happily, but the noises were definitely human.

That was when her eyes strayed to the dress that was hung over the back of her desk chair, and her face instantly flushed. Of course, Kyo would never be able to sleep in that dress, but still. She didn't expect that, even if she was just even more pissed at herself for not even thinking about it for a second. Like she apparently didn't think a single thing through the previous day.

Noir leaped off the bundle of blankets, the bell on her new collar tinkling lightly, and it seemed Kyo was awake now. Not only that, but Haruhi was just staring at her like a creep. She decided to scoop the cat up in her arms, at least appearing to look preoccupied with something else, but another surprise was piled on top of the large pile already forming on her shoulders.

Kyo sat up, the blankets pooling at their waist, and Haruhi was stunned. Now she looked, she could see the blonde wig carefully laid out on her desk, and Kyo's was black and cropped short. Not only that, but there was something… distinctly masculine about their torso. Completely flat, the barest hint of their ribcage through their skin, and she couldn't stop staring.

All Kyo seemed to do was blink slowly, lazily, obviously still half asleep. It didn't seem to clink, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and yawning. Haruhi couldn't take her eyes off them, surprised speechless, and when Kyo's eyes met her own it all seemed to connect in their mind.

They gasped, pulling the blanket up to their chin, their eyes wide and terrified. Like Haruhi was in some way a threat.

"I…" They started but didn't finish. After all, Haruhi didn't know what to say, and she was basically a bystander to this. She wasn't the half-naked one in this situation, "I should… go get dressed. Excuse me."

They pushed themselves up from the floor, about to snatch the dress up once more when the next contrived, awful coincidence burst through the door, warbling her name at the top of his lungs and carrying a tray of breakfast. Tamaki stopped dead, however, when confronted with Kyo in their underwear, hair mussed, and turned an almost comedic shade of red. Of all days for him not to have the morning shift, why _this one_?!

"Oh! Uh, sorry! I didn't know Haruhi had someone in bed- **Over**! I mean over!" Tamaki babbled, arms waving dramatically, "I'm just her roommate! Nothing going on between us, dude. I mean, we used to go out but that didn't work out… I'm nothing to worry about though! I've got a girlfriend!"

When he finally stopped talking, leaving the room in awkward silence, Haruhi was ready to strangle him. Normal people don't spill like that to total strangers, although Tamaki never handled embarrassment well. At all. Kyo seemed incredibly embarrassed as well, a flush forming on their face that could rival Tamaki's, although that was probably partially due to how pale they were…

"Tamaki, thanks for making breakfast, but can you…" She made a vague shooing gesture with her hand, and Tamaki instantly nodded in understanding, all but sprinting out of her room and slamming the door behind him. She let out a sigh, turning away from Kyo so they could pull the dress on once more without a stranger staring at their nearly-naked body, "Sorry about him. When he gets nervous, he just keeps talking. In fact, he never seems to shut up, if I'm honest."

"Oh, it's… It's fine," Kyo answered almost breathlessly, sounding a little flustered, "I'm clothed now, so you don't have to keep looking away. Thank you for that, anyway… Sorry, this is awkward, and I'm just running my mouth now too – maybe it's contagious."

She chuckled, turning to look at Kyo once more and giving them a smirk. Noir also seemed to have had enough of her company, as she jumped off her lap to go pester her actual owner.

"So… Considering we have a cat together, can I ask your full name? Pronouns?" She inquired, hoping that she looked the slightest bit encouraging and open, not wanting to scare them off. After all, if she had to look after the cat, she'd rather know a little more about this person.

"Kyoya. Kyoya Ootori," They began, shoulders tense and curling in on themselves a little more, "You don't have to pretend you didn't see… Didn't notice I'm a boy. Man."

"A body's just a body," She shrugged, cutting him off before he could work himself up anymore, "You can't tell from that, especially as that wasn't really your choice. I mean, my dad presents as a girl more often than not, but he still likes masculine pronouns? So, you do you."

Kyoya scooped the cat up, holding her close to his chest. Not like a toy, not how Tamaki would pick Antoinette up as he baby talked her, but it also had the same sort of energy as a child hugging a stuffed toy in search of comfort. Their lips brushed the cat's soft, black fur as they thought on what she said, turning it over in their mind.

"I just go for the masculine," He stated after a moment or two, his tone brusque and almost as if he was trying to convince himself. Still, she'd go along with it if that's what he was most comfortable with – far be it for her to comment, "So, uh. Your ex-boyfriend lives with you, huh?"

"You aren't that great at small talk, are you?" She teased, "It's not as awkward as it sounds, honestly. He's a good guy. I love him as a friend, but I don't think I was _in love_ with him, you know?"

Kyoya nodded, perching on the edge of the desk. A silence fell between them like a blanket of snow, soft yet cold, and Haruhi wasn't sure what to say. She could see that Kyoya was thinking, too stuck in his head to really talk to her, and she wondered if he was always like that. Was he an introvert, or was it the odd situation they'd managed to stumble into? Not that it mattered either way, but he seemed different to how he was yesterday.

"Your roommate saw me, and I don't have any other clothes," He groaned all of a sudden, face hiding in Noel's fur. She furrowed her brows, trying to think why that would be an issue, but almost slapped herself when she realised what he meant. The dress. He was self-conscious about dressing that way in front of a relative stranger who knew he was biologically male.

"Well, Tamaki wouldn't care," She tried to assure, gaze following him as he wondered around the room, seeming to scan and catalogue every inch as he pulled the wig back on his head, "He's a good guy, I promise. He wouldn't be a jerk about that stuff…"

It seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, as next thing she knew the odd boy opened the window, climbing out onto the old, rickety fire escape. She just gaped after him for a moment, too shocked to say anything as that poofy skirt was squeezed through the gap in the window.

"Are you crazy?!" She demanded, rushing towards the window, "That thing's rusted through, you're gonna fall! Just use the door like a normal person!"

He kept climbing down, ignoring her for the moment. She had to admire how dexterous he was, climbing down those thin ladders without tripping or tearing the elaborate dress. It was quick, too; like he was afraid to be caught, which she supposed made sense. It barely took any time before his feet were back on the ground, and he was smirking up to her.

"I do this all the time," He called up to her, waving before he turned his back, disappearing out into the main street. Not for the first time that day, a single thought was on her mind.

 _What the hell did I get myself into?_


End file.
